Hope (Hercules and Xena)
Hope is an antagonist in the third and forth seasons of Xena: Warrior Princess and an antagonist in the forth season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She's the Daughter of Dahak. She was portrayed by Renee O'Connor, the same actress who portrays her mother, Gabrielle, the secondary protagonist of Xena: Warrior Princess. Biography Conception While being left in Britannia, Gabrielle was captured by the servants of the One Evil God, Dahak, at his temple, as well as was tricked into killing his priestess. After performing her first kill, Dahak then proceeded in planting his seed within her. Gabrielle became nine months pregnant by the next week, as well as gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Hope, believing that because the baby was half-her, she was not necessarily evil, though Xena was skeptical and tried convincing her repeatedly to kill the newborn. Infancy Hope grew rapidly and the night of her birth she performed her first kill. Xena fearing that the child is just a tool for Dahak, attempts to kill her against Gabrielle's wishes. Gabrielle then goes on the run from Xena with the help of Dahak's banshees. Xena attempts to track them down and Gabrielle fakes a story of Hope trying to strangle her and she had to throw her off of a cliff. In truth, Gabrielle sent her daughter up a river in a basket, causing one of the many lies that start the rift between Xena and Gabrielle. Childhood and Meeting Callisto Hope, after a few months, grew up to look like a 10 year child, now fully in the employ of her father. Hope then proceeds in releasing the now goddess, Callisto from the lava pit that Xena trapped her in, in order to help her get rid of Xena. Hope disguises herself as an innocent child who was attacked by Callisto, while her mother and Xena are visiting the Amazons/Centaurs. Hope then initiates her plot where she and Callisto kill Xena's son, Solan. Afterwards, Gabrielle realizes that the child is Hope and comes to terms with her true nature and poisons her, killing her own daughter. Meeting Hercules Hope is resurrected from the ashes of her funeral pyre by Dahak. While regenerating, "The Daughter of Darkness", released Callisto from the cavern Xena trapped her in and gave her the task of travelling back in time and killing Hercules' mother before he's born. Thanks to the heroics of Iolaus- and surprisingly, Ares- their plot is stopped. "Hatching" and Presumed Death With the help of the cult of Dahak, Callisto, as well as Dahak's new pawn, Ares, Hope prepares to finish regenerating and hatch from her life-size cocoon. Despite the constant opposition from her mother and Xena, as well as even later Callisto, the cult feeds Hope the blood of the chosen sacrifice and she resurfaces, now fully grown appearing identical to Gabrielle, with her demonic deity-like powers now in full telekinetic force. Playing Gabrielle, The Destroyer and Death Hope now fully grown, has taken Ares as her lover promising to slaughter the rest of the Olympian Deities and leave him ruling in their place. In return, Ares provides Hope with a child who grows as rapidly as she did. In her plot Hope portrays Gabrielle in order to fool Joxer into showing her where Hercules hid the Hinds-Blood Dagger in his last battle with Callisto, though it was already taken by Xena beforehand. Hope then tries to convince her mother to defect to her side and "be the mother she never could have been", though Gabrielle of course dismisses the offer. Hope then with her cult attempt to finally have Dahak rise from his flames, though of course Xena attempts to kill her knowing that if she does, The Fates will immediately cut her life thread. In an attempt to stop Xena from killing Hope, Gabrielle grabs Hope and they both fall into Dahak's pit, stopping his revival and apparently killing them both. Xena and Joxer eventually discover that Ares rescued them both. Hope then gave birth to her son, a fiersome creature she calls, "The Destroyer." Hope then travels to Gabrielle's hometown, Potidaea and portrays her and fools her maternal grandparents into believing Xena abuses and torments Gabrielle, though Xena eventually finds the real Gabrielle and together they go up against Hope and her monster of a son. Fooled into thinking that Hope is Gabrielle, The Destoryer stabs Hope with his claw after being stabbed by Xena and mother and son die in each other's arms. Legacy Hope doesn't appear again until 25 years after the false deaths of Xena, Gabrielle, and Xena's daughter, Eve, though it's the Furies appearing as Hope in order to convince Gabrielle to kill Xena's daughter, Eve.